Chapter 962: Taking the Initiative
Whether it was the second gradient of the Endless Abyss or the residual blood energy left by Xue Hou, both were enough to arouse considerable curiosity and reverence.
Shengshu Cainü was not a conservative or reserved Confucian disciple; on the contrary, she possessed a strong thirst for knowledge about everything in the world.
The more dangerous something seemed, the more it appeared to hold value for exploration.
Zhang Ruochen noticed a glimmer of keen interest in Shengshu Cainü’s eyes and asked, “You want to investigate the place where the strange bloody light is surging out?”
“Mm.”
Shengshu Cainü nodded her head lightly and said, “I have a premonition that the place where the strange bloody light surges out might be related to the origin of the blood beasts.”
One must understand that Shengshu Cainü was no ordinary person; she was a Spiritual Power Saint.
The premonitions of a Spiritual Power Saint were not random guesses. Instead, they could subconsciously perceive things that ordinary people could not, even transcending the boundaries of time and space.
Of course, the abilities of a Spiritual Power Saint were still quite limited, often manifesting as mere flashes of insight. In this regard, their capability was far inferior to that of the Heir of Time and Space.
Relatively speaking, some of Zhang Ruochen’s premonitions were more accurate.
For instance, he had once sensed that Shengshu Cainü might encounter danger when she went to the Shangguan Clan, and indeed, she faced peril and nearly fell.
Another example was when Zhang Ruochen sensed that Shengshu Cainü might not have died, which led him to infiltrate the Blood God Sect without hesitation.
In the end, his premonition proved correct once again.
Although it was called a premonition, it was very likely that Zhang Ruochen’s Spiritual Power had pierced the boundaries of time and space, glimpsing a future scene at a certain moment.
However, his Spiritual Power was too weak, and his understanding of time and space remained at a very shallow level, making it impossible for him to grasp those scenes accurately.
Ultimately, those scenes became very blurry, flashing through Zhang Ruochen’s mind in an instant, turning into a mere feeling.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen only occasionally experienced such premonitions now, and he could only passively receive them.
Perhaps in the future, when his Spiritual Power grew stronger and his understanding of time and space deepened, he would be able to actively investigate certain matters.
Spiritual Power Saints also possessed some special abilities; they could use their Spiritual Power to deduce certain events. The stronger one’s Spiritual Power, the stronger their deductive ability.
Of course, the abilities of a Spiritual Power Saint were still quite limited.
Take Shengshu Cainü, for example. If she could accurately deduce calamity, fortune, auspiciousness, and misfortune, how could she have repeatedly encountered danger?
Whether it was the deductions of a Spiritual Power Saint or Zhang Ruochen’s kind of premonition, there were too many uncertain factors. In truth, powerful cultivation was the real reliance.
Zhang Ruochen nodded and asked, “How much of your Spiritual Power has recovered?”
“Probably about two or three levels,” Shengshu Cainü said.
Even if she had only recovered two or three levels of her Spiritual Power, its intensity could still rival that of some Spiritual Power cultivators who had just entered the Saint Realm.
Shengshu Cainü’s strength was certainly not to be underestimated.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze turned toward the boundless darkness, sharp and piercing. “Before we investigate the place where the strange bloody light surges out, we must first deal with the enemy. Hearing the roar of the blood beast earlier, Xianlan Wang should be arriving soon.”
Shengshu Cainü’s beautiful eyes were exceptionally bright, and every curved eyelash was full of aesthetic appeal. “Instead of being passive, it’s better to take the initiative. The Heaven and Earth Rules here can suppress a cultivator’s power to less than one two-hundredth. Your physical advantage will be fully displayed, enough to contend with Xianlan Wang.”
“Moreover, I have some methods that can assist you.”
Zhang Ruochen turned his head slightly and asked, “What methods?”
“I can play the zither for you.”
Shengshu Cainü smiled faintly, extending a snow-white, slender jade hand. In the center of her palm, a circle of white light appeared.
At the center of the white light, a small, inch-long azure-green ancient zither emerged, delicate and exquisite, with every string clearly visible.
The azure-green ancient zither gradually grew larger, reaching three feet six and five inches in length, cradled between her hands.
The zither’s body was flat, its curves smooth, as if crafted to resemble the form of an ice phoenix. Both its craftsmanship and material were astonishing, far from ordinary.
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew that Shengshu Cainü playing the zither for him was not merely for entertainment.
One must understand that the Zither Sect, the foremost of the four Confucian sects, was a sacred land of zither art. It could kill with zither sounds, tame barbarian beasts with zither sounds, and communicate with Heaven and Earth Rules through zither sounds.
By achieving sainthood through the zither, one could use zither tones to break a thousand armies.
With a beautiful woman by his side, holding a zither close, in this cold and dark world, it created a unique atmosphere.
Yet, danger lurked all around, making it difficult to appreciate such beauty.
Zhang Ruochen and Shengshu Cainü decided that before Xianlan Wang arrived, they needed to set up some preparations in advance.
If they could use a sneak attack to kill Xianlan Wang as quickly as possible, that would be ideal.
Earlier, the roar of the blood beast had traveled far, indeed alerting Xianlan Wang and the Second Prince.
However, Xianlan Wang was not a rash and impulsive person. He did not rush over immediately.
Xianlan Wang had lurked in the Zhenyu Ancient Clan for nearly a hundred years without being discovered, which showed how cautious he was.
“Since I could hear the roar of the blood beast, Zhang Ruochen and Shengshu Cainü must have heard it too. They might have already arrived nearby,” Xianlan Wang said.
“I was just worried about not finding them. If they really went there, wouldn’t that be even better?” The Second Prince’s lips curled up, a look of delight in his eyes.
“It’s best to be careful. Shengshu Cainü and Zhang Ruochen are not easy opponents. If Shengshu Cainü’s injuries have recovered, even I might not be her match.”
Xianlan Wang’s expression was grave as he moved forward cautiously, not daring to let his guard down.
The Second Prince said, “Shengshu Cainü’s cultivation is indeed very strong, but her injuries are also severe. How could she recover fully in just one day?”
“On the contrary, I think now is the best time to deal with them. If we wait any longer and Shengshu Cainü’s injuries fully heal, we will never have another chance.”
Xianlan Wang also thought the Second Prince’s words had some merit.
Thus, he accelerated his movement technique, rushing toward the direction of the beast’s roar at a faster speed.
The Heaven and Earth Rules grew denser, and the temperature in the air dropped further. Ahead, a black stone cliff appeared, towering a thousand zhang, steep and smooth, as if it had been cleaved by a single sword strike.
“There’s the scent of humans.”
Xianlan Wang immediately stopped and looked down. On the ground, he found messy footprints, which he could discern were left by Zhang Ruochen and Shengshu Cainü.
A joyful expression appeared on the Second Prince’s face. “Excellent! If we continue chasing, we will surely intercept them. Capturing those two will be a great achievement. When Father Emperor emerges from seclusion, he will surely look upon me with new respect.”
The Crown Prince had put immense pressure on the Second Prince, and he was eager to accomplish some feats to defend his position in the eyes of Qingtian Xue Di.
Xianlan Wang felt something was off. His eyes darted around, hesitant.
Suddenly, he sensed a deadly killing intent surging from his right side. The surrounding space, like shattered glass, rapidly cracked open.
Where the space cracks penetrated, everything was torn apart, and no force could stop them.
“It’s a trap.”
Xianlan Wang’s neural reaction speed was astonishing. With a bang, he struck the Second Prince with a palm, sending him tumbling to the right.
At the same time, Xianlan Wang used the recoil force, moving like a fleeting shadow, lightning-fast, darting to the left, narrowly avoiding the shattered space.
“Crack.”
The Second Prince’s body crashed into the shattered space. In an instant, it was torn into pieces, as if subjected to a thousand cuts, turning into blood, bones, and flesh remnants.
Finally, the shattered space completely swallowed his remains.
Even though the Second Prince had many protective measures, against the collapsing space, he only lasted a single moment before ultimately suffering Divine Form Annihilation.
Xianlan Wang took a deep breath and roared, “Zhang Ruochen, why don’t you show yourself?”
From the darkness, Zhang Ruochen’s voice rang out, “A fine move—sacrificing the rook to save the king. My carefully laid killing strike was so easily deflected by you.”
Xianlan Wang could naturally hear the sarcasm in Zhang Ruochen’s words.
However, he did not care and snorted coldly, “The one who killed the Second Prince is you. What does that have to do with me?”
“Since you put it that way, how could I not admit it?”
Zhang Ruochen, wearing the Meteor Invisibility Cloak, used Spatial Displacement, constantly shifting positions in the darkness.
Sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, Xianlan Wang could not lock onto his location.
Xianlan Wang did not bother trying to detect Zhang Ruochen’s position. Instead, he diverted part of his Saintly Senses to search for Shengshu Cainü’s whereabouts.
Since Zhang Ruochen was nearby, Shengshu Cainü must be not far from him.
Sure enough, Xianlan Wang quickly found Shengshu Cainü’s position. She was sitting a hundred zhang away.
An azure-green ancient zither rested on her knees. Her demeanor was serene and ethereal.
“If I attack Shengshu Cainü, Zhang Ruochen will surely show himself,” Xianlan Wang thought to himself.
“Whoosh!”
Three white Sacred Swords flew out from the Qi Sea between Xianlan Wang’s brows.
The surface of the Sacred Swords emitted a large patch of white light.
Two of the Sacred Swords flew toward Shengshu Cainü, exuding a murderous aura, giving a sense of overwhelming force.
Shengshu Cainü remained exceptionally calm. With two slender jade fingers, she lightly plucked one of the zither strings and then flicked her fingertips.
“Swish——”
Instantly, a piercing, clanging sound rang out within a radius of several hundred zhang.
A mass of crimson fire cloud surged from the zither string along her finger, meeting the two incoming Sacred Swords.
The fire cloud roared as it twisted and turned, transforming into a phoenix over ten meters long, with flames filling the sky, sending the two Sacred Swords flying back.
The power unleashed by the ancient zither was not particularly strong.
If this were on the ground, without the suppression of Heaven and Earth Rules, the force of Shengshu Cainü’s finger strike could have turned hundreds of miles of land into a scorched wasteland.
…
(In the depths of my being, I have a mysterious premonition. I am too tired today, and the second chapter might not be finished. If it is not updated tonight, it will have to wait until midday or afternoon tomorrow.) (To be continued.)